austin



R. B. AUSTIN, DECD. c. a. AUSTIN. ADMINISTRATOR- BALL BEARING C 0UNTER.

' APPLICATION FILED OCT I6, 1917. 1,342,733.

Patented June 8, 1920.

INVE/VI'OR A NORA/5V8 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RAYMOND BROOKS AUSTIN, OF DELAWARE, OHIO; CYRUS 13., AUSTIN ADMINISTRATOR 0F SAID RAYMOND BROOKS AUSTIN, DECEASED.

1 BALL-BEARING cotmrnn.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 8, 1920.

Application filed. October 16, 1917. Serial No. 196,957.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RAYMOND B. AUs'riN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Delaware, in the county of Delaware and State of Ohio, have invented new and useful Improvements in Ball-Bearing Counters, of which the following is a specification.

My invention is an improvement in ball bearing counters, and has for its object to provide a device of the character specified, by means or" which any predetermined number of balls may be taken from a container, thus dispensing with the necessity for the separate counting of the same.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is perspective view of one embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows adjacent to the line;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of another embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 1 is a section on the line 4-& of Fig. 3, looking in the direction of the arrows adjacent the line;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view of another embodiment;

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of another embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of another embodiment of the invention.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the counter consists of a plate 1 of metal of suitable weight, the said plate having at one side edge an extension forming a handle 2, the said handle being offset above the plane of the plate. The plate is provided with openings 3, which are of a size such that the balls 4L will partly engage in the openings, deep enough to steady the balls and to prevent their displacement when the plate is tilted slightly from side to side. In this construction the plate is dipped into the balls in the container, bringing up enough to fill the openings, with some excess, and the excess balls may be tilted ofl' by slightly inclining the plate from side to side. It will be understood that the plate may be provided with any desired number of open ings, and with openings of various sizes for various sizes of balls, the plate shown having twenty-five openings.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in Figs. 3 and 1-, a plate 5 is provided, having at one side edge an upstanding flange (S which has at its free edge a web 7 extending parallel with the plate and in spaced relation. The rear edge of the plate is provided with a flange 8, and a handle 9 mo tends outwardly from the center of this flange. Where the web 7 abuts at its ends against the flange S, the said flange has a lug 10 which overlies the outer face of the extension, and the flange 6 has an angular portion 11 which fits behind the flange 8. Thus a guard is provided at the rear and one side edge 01" the plate, and the web, with the guard and the adjacent portion of the flange 8, makes a species of container for the balls.

The plate is provided with a series of depressions 12, twenty-five in the present instance, the said depressions being of a size to receive the balls at, and to permit them to enter the depressions so that but a small part of the ball extends beyond the face of the plate. The plate may be tilted sharply with this construction, without displacing the balls. Furthermore, the balls cannot run over the rear edge of the plate or that side edge at the flange 6, and after the twenty-five balls have been picked up, by

- turning the plate into the position shown in Fig. 3, the balls are rolled into the container, from whence they may be poured into a receptacle.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in Fig. 5, the plate 13, having the handle 14, has on its upper face recesses or depressions 15, which are of a size to receive the balls 16, the said balls being small in the present instance. These depressions, as shown, are of greatest depth toward the front edge of the plate, gradually decreasing in depth toward the handle. The edge of the plate is also sharpened, as indicated at 17, to permit its easy insertion beneath the balls. The counter shown in Fig. 5 is especially adapted for small balls, although it will be evident that it is adapted for all sizes. This construction is designed to tacilitate the removal of the counted balls from the openings 15, or the openings may be made of greater depth than where the openings are not so shaped. The shape of the openings provides channels leading from the bottoms of the openings to the surface of the plate. In using this embodiment the ex- .cess balls may be rolled off by tilting the counter forwardly, and then by tilting it backwardly the counted balls readily roll out of the cup to the back of the counter.

The embodiment of the invention shown in Fig. 6 comprises a frame 18 in the form of a box, having one end open, and at the opposite end the frame has a handle 19. A series of counters, one of which is indicated at 20, and which may be like the plate in Fig, 1 or like those in Figs. 4 and 5, is provided, the frame having guides, as shown, for receiving the plate. These plates can be readily slipped into and out of the frame and by reversing the frame, which, in fact, is a container when so reversed, having the handle end closed, the balls may be poured out of the container or frame into a suitable receptacle. l/Vith this construction the plates will be marked with the number of openings and size of balls, and any of the other counters shown may also be so marked. Should, for instance, a counting plate have more openings than desired at any particular time, a thin plate of proper size may be fitted into the counter to cover some of the openings.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in Fig. 7 the counter is a casing 25, triangular in cross section, with a perforated bottom 26. The perforations in the bottom are the openings for receiving the balls, and correspond to the depressions and openings of the other form shown. The casing has a handle 27 for convenience in manipulating the same.

I claim:

A ball bearing counter, comprising a plate having apredetermined number of similar ball receiving means in its upper surface for permitting a predetermined number of balls to be held while the remainder are tipped off, said plate having at two adjacent sides upwardly extending flanges, one of said flanges having a handle and the other a web overlying the plate to form with the flanges a holder for the balls when the plate-is tilted toward the said web.

RAYMOND BROOKS AUSTIN. 

